The White House said Thursday that “steps are underway” to remove Syrian dictator Bashar Assad from power, as President Trump signaled he was considering military action in the war-torn country.

Just days after a devastating chemical gas attack left more than 80 people dead, including at least 30 children, top Defense and State Department officials began discussing options for a military strike against the Syrian government, with the nation’s top diplomat strongly hinting that the U.S. would also lead an effort to topple Assad.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday's gas attack would prompt a “serious response” from the U.S, adding that there was “no role” for Assad in Syria.

“With the acts that he has taken, it would seem that there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people," Tillerson told reporters.

When asked if the U.S. would lead a coalition to remove Assad from power, Tillerson bluntly replied, “Those steps are underway.”

President Trump is reportedly considering military action against Syria.

(Evan Vucci/AP)

In a further sign that military action was imminent, Trump also reportedly told several members of Congress Thursday that he was weighing such a move.

In brief remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump — who a day earlier said Assad "crossed many lines" — however, remained coy about his intentions, saying that, “What happened in Syria is truly one of the egregious crimes and it shouldn’t have happened."

But when asked whether Assad should step down, he replied, “What happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity, and he’s there, and I guess he’s running things, so I guess something should happen.”

Hours earlier, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he’d spoken with Trump about military action and said they would be meeting with Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster to decide how to proceed.

The developments came just a day after Trump said that the gas attack in Syria “crossed a lot of lines” for him and that his prior stance on Syria — to not intervene — was “flexible.”

“My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much,” he said Wednesday. “When you kill innocent children, innocent babies — babies, little babies — with a chemical gas that is so lethal, people were shocked to hear what gas it was, that crosses many, many lines.”